Living Doll
by 10959297
Summary: One woman's sad love story becomes Mai's opportunity to confess her true feelings for Naru. The catch: She must not be rejected by her loved one or her life will be taken away from her. How will Naru save Mai now? Will he accept or reject Mai?
1. I Hearts Day Present

**The Living Doll**

_'He loves me, he loves me not… He loves me, he loves me not'_

_The rose petals fell slowly onto the clear pond and there, they floated about gracefully. A girl with ebony black hair sat nearby, watching those petals drift away from her. She told him to meet her here, at the usual place, at the usual time – just like the old days. But it seems that he has forgotten about their little rendezvous. An hour had already passed without any sign of his arrival, but she persisted sitting there, hoping that he would come. The night is young but her patience has aged._

_She must see him, for tonight is a very special night for her. She plans to tell him how long she has been waiting… How she is patiently waiting to be loved back. _

**Chapter One: Hearts Day Present**

**Saturday, February 14****th**

**5:25 PM**

Today, the street shops are decorated with heart shaped ornaments in red, pink and white colors; the restaurants are having promos for couples. It is recognized all over the world that the 14th of February celebrates love - it may be the kind of love expressed between lovers, between friends or the kind of love parents give their child and vice versa.

During this day, chocolates and flowers take center stage. Valentine's Day is considered to be one of the most stressful holidays, Christmas season aside of course. No one can escape the Valentine's Day dilemma - not even Taniyama Mai. It is most likely the girl who will give chocolates to the apple of her eye on February 14, with hopes of receiving something in return on the 14th of May. Traditionally, this is how Japan celebrates the Day of Hearts.

It has been a while since SPR last solved a case. It's best to grab this opportunity for a bit of rest and relaxation however, it's a whole different story for the heroine of this chapter. Taniyama Mai has been having sleepless nights, thinking whether or not she would give chocolates to the most narcisstic person she has ever met: Shibuya Kazuya - or Naru, as she would call him. In fact, the very thought of her having feelings for the guy is already quite questionable. Or perhaps she was just denying it?

While walking down the string of Valentine's Day decorated shops, Mai heaved a heavy sigh. Upon seeing a familiar shop, she stopped to stare at a heavenly delight. The chocolate truffles on display look very tempting but she worries whether or not Naru favors sweets. If not, she should probably give him something else - like heart shaped sushi or so. She then shook her head vigorously. _'Why should I give chocolates to him anyway? He must have received a lot of chocolates since this morning'_ she thought, images of Naru's good looks suddenly popping out of nowhere in her head. Out of confusion and anxiety, she looked down to her feet with her forehead pressed against the glass window of the sweets shop.

"Umm… Mai?" a voice called out to her from behind. Mai quickly turned to see the other party.

"John…" she called the latter with a smile. Since SPR hasn't been solving a case, it has also been a while since she last saw the other members of the team.

"Are you… going to buy some for someone?" he asked, pointing to the chocolate truffles inside the shop. Mai shook her head vigorously again.

"Not really, I just thought of buying one for myself" she hesitated, and then covering it up with a forced laugh.

"Ahh…" John expressed disbelievingly.

"How about you? Are you going to get something for someone?" Mai asked the same question.

"No, I just thought it would be nice to have a walk today" he answered with an honest smile. At least someone is being true to himself during this time of the year. Unlike most people, John might be enjoying this day not because he would be spending his time with someone, he's just the type of person who likes to see people around him happy - he is a good priest after all.

"How about a walk? I also thought of visiting SPR today" he then added after a moment of silence. With this said, Mai nodded happily.

The two started walking down the street, on their way to the SPR building. "Did you know that Valentine's Day is actually the feast day of a saint?" John started saying. Mai shot both of her eyebrows up, her expression suddenly filled with interest.

"Really?" she asked.

"St. Valentine is the Patron of Lovers. Couples usually seek his help in love affairs" John explained. With his knowledge in the Catholic religion, Mai believes these statements to be true.

"This St. Valentine reminds me very much of Cupid…" Mai said to John while looking at some more sweets at the shop's windows.

"You can say that" John smiled to himself while looking at Mai who was obviously stressing over Valentine's Day, looking past windows and shopping for gift ideas. The day was about to end and she has not delivered her token of love for her chosen one. The exorcist priest thought that he should give this time to Mai.

"Mai…" John called again.

"Yes?" Mai asked, looking at him because of the sudden feeling of urgency.

"I just remembered… I have somewhere else to go" John told her, a bit of guilt brewed up inside of him. He needed to lie for a good purpose - It is Valentine's Day, he might as well be Mai's temporary Cupid for the moment.

"Oh… Really? Then you should come back next time?" Mai said in a concerned manner and yet, a bit of excitement was evident in her expression. Finally, she will be able to decide what to give Naru - without letting anyone in the team know about it.

"Don't worry. I'll visit very soon… Please send my regards to Naru and Lin" John said, bidding her farewell whilemoving in the opposite direction. Mai then nodded, watching her friend go.

Once no one familiar was in sight, she continued her search for the perfect Valentine's Day present - one with a very subtle message of love. At the end of the street was the city bridge. A lot of couples are gathering there today, all of them hoping to be with their partners until the next life. Since before, people believed that if a couple kissed on that bridge during this time of the year, they would never be separated - just like how the bridge connects the two lands.

Mai just stood there, sighing in dismay. If Naru were with her at that time, maybe they would…

Mai slapped herself before she could drift into some ridiculous daydream. She does not have such courage to be confessing to him. Such action might entail a change in her relationship with Naru. And if things don't go her way, she worries that she might end up being avoided instead.

The sky was now colored in an orange hue. '_It is sunset, the day is about to end'_ Mai thought.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from one of the shops behind. A concerned crowd quickly gathered around the accident site to see if the victim was alright. Mai followed the crowd to see what exactly happened. Upon getting a glimpse of the tragedy, she saw a man with blood on his face, writhing in pain. Beside him was his broken bicycle turned upside down. One of the watchers called the ambulance while the rest tried to call for help.

Not long, the ambulance came. "You should be careful while riding your bike next time" one of the nurses said as he and the other men heaved him to the ambulance. Struggling to get back up, the man spoke in a raspy tone. "The box… the box" he said but the medical officials did not hear him. Instead, they closed the door and rushed him to the hospital. Mai looked around for this certain box. And not far from where the accident happened, she spotted a neatly packed parchment. She went over to pick it up and examined if it was still in its pristine shape.

_'The man must be in a hurry to give this to his wife. It is Valentine's Day after all'_ Mai assumed. While looking at the package, she noticed that a part of its wrapping had already torn off. She took a peek at what was inside the wrapping and there, she saw a transparent box showing off a beautiful silk skinned doll. It had shiny ebony black hair and very delicate features. Mai stared at the doll, it was very pretty but she had to wonder why its eyes felt so empty….

It was almost night time; silence invaded the office without a certain Taniyama Mai around. Naru placed his book down from reading and took a glimpse at the clock again. _'Where is she?' _Naru asked himself. He's not used to without having Mai around the office and by this time, she should have already given him the chocolates he was expecting from her.

His impatience started to take the best of him - he couldn't concentrate on the book he was reading. And so, he decided to turn the television on to divert his concern to something else - '_something more important' _he thought.

_"Lady died from unknown reason" _the reporter on the news channel started. _"This afternoon, Mr. Takamura, father of the victim, phoned the emergency hotline saying that his daughter was found dead in her bedroom. The police then rushed to their residence and transferred the girl's body for further investigation." _A slide of terrifying pictures was shown on the screen. "_According to witnesses, her body looked so much like a doll and her eyes looked as if they were made of plastic" _

Naru furrowed his eyebrows, staring at the television screen.

_That is one creepy Hearts Day Present. _

**- END OF CHAPTER -**

**NOTES**: _(taken from wikipedia)_

Silk-skinned or "mask-face" dolls became a popular craft in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s, allowing the individual to design elaborate kimono for dolls representing women of various periods of Japanese history, particularly the Edo period. Dolls of this type continued to be made and were a popular item for servicemen and tourists to bring back after World War II, though they also might choose dolls representing similar subjects made with gofun faces.

Author's Note: Hello dear readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please drop a review, I'd love to hear or rather read your thoughts about this chapter so far. Let me know if I should continue!


	2. II A Change of Heart

**Chapter Two: A Change of Heart**

**Saturday, February 14****th**

**7:07 PM**

It started raining heavily an hour ago. Hopeless romantics would think of it as something… Well, romantic. Blame it on the media influenced ideas: those under the rain kissing scenes or sharing the umbrella with one's partner. But for Mai, the rain only made her mood even more melancholy. Sadly, she wasn't able to buy Naru anything…

The doorknob twisted slowly and the door creaked open. Mai squinted, hoping to enter the office without a sound. This way she would not have to let Naru know that she was back - this way, she doesn't need to face him, not today at least. But it was dark in the office and not one person, not even Lin was inside. _'Perhaps Lin and Naru went out to dinner?' _A train of ridiculous thoughts came into Mai's mind. She then slapped herself. She has been having weird imaginations this whole month.

She switched the lights on and saw a mountain of packed chocolates overflowing the trash can, all of them addressed to Naru. "What an insensitive guy" Mai mumbled and rolled her eyes. This is one of the reasons why she has been troubled. If she were to give Naru some chocolates, would he appreciate them? Or would her chocolates be among those sitting in the trash bin? If there was one thing most people fear about confessions, that would have to be rejection - and Taniyama Mai just happened to be one of those people.

The girl threw herself to the couch, together with the package she picked up a while ago. She planned to rewrap it and visit the man at the hospital. She was deciding if she would return it to him or if she would offer to deliver the item herself to his wife. However the situation will go, she was happy to help. If Cupid or St. Valentine could not provide a miracle for her this Valentines Day, she would create a miracle for this man – to become someone else's Cupid.

Slowly, Mai took off the wrapper to take a better look at the doll inside. Once the wrapper was off, she was able to see the whole doll while in its transparent box. She furrowed her eyebrows at the doll, her eyes still creeping her out. After a few moments of looking at the doll, she sighed and said "His wife must be as beautiful as this doll…" Denying the fact that her eyes do look scary at some point.

A thought came to her. She imagined herself wearing a pretty dress and wondering what would Naru say about her.

"If only I were as pretty as you… Maybe Naru would like me. Maybe I wouldn't be spending Valentines Day alone in the office" she told the doll.

Suddenly, Mai's surroundings seemed to be too quiet… Too quiet that she couldn't hear the clock ticking, or the raindrops falling on the rooftop. She did not notice it at first until a soft hissing sound was heard and the temperature dropped. Not long, Mai heard another sound other than the hissing noise. It sounded like a woman gasping for air. Out of nowhere, she felt cold hands wrapped around her neck. Fear danced up on her spine as her face turned a ghostly white. She was paralyzed, too scared to the point that she can't even face the unknown.

"I can make a miracle for you…" it said. Then, a bright red light filled the office and once the light had faded, the ticking of the clock and the raindrops falling on the rooftop can be heard again.

**Saturday, February 14****th**

**8:43 PM**

The city streets were packed with people despite the rainy weather they were having, most of them were couples enjoying the company of their corresponding significant other. Naru and Lin walked briskly into the hospital building to avoid the Valentines Day bug. Inside the hospital however, were a number of families celebrating with each other. "Valentines Day is everywhere" Naru complained to Lin while the latter merely nodded. Both of them boarded onto the elevator, rushing to meet their client.

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7 and the elevator door was opened for them. Their client said that he needed to talk to them immediately; that he had some very urgent matters to discuss. Both Lin and Naru felt uneasy; their client failed to meet them earlier - Instead, he got into some accident while on his way to the SRP building. After walking through rows and rows of hospital rooms, they finally reached room 203, where their client said he was. Lin knocked on the door gently before entering. Inside, a man with bandages around his head and his leg laid straight in bed. Both Lin and Naru paid their respect to the elderly man by bowing and by greeting him a good evening. The man looked at Naru in confusion.

"What is wrong, Takamura-san?" Naru asked the man. The man tried to smile a bit, despite the minor injuries on his face.

"It's nothing… It's just that, as president of the SPR… Well, I expected someone much older than you" Mr. Takamura, the man, said. Naru cleared his throat. He thought he had already gotten used to receiving comments such as these but he still feels insulted about it.

"Anyway…" Naru continued, avoiding the topic. "Would you please tell us what happened to your daughter?" he continued, asking Mr. Takamura with honest concern. Lin prepared to take down notes of the events.

"Please have a seat first" the man offered while trying to refresh his mind about the horrifying happenings. Both Naru and Lin took a sit next to the man's bed with all ears.

The man coughed and then started his story with a terrified look on his face.

"It all started when my daughter, Madoka brought that doll to the house. At that time she… had a crush on her school's basketball team captain - I think his name was Ryu. She started behaving differently, telling me that she will die if he didn't love her" Tears rolled down Takamura's cheeks. Even if it was painful for him to remember what has happened to Madoka, he still needed to tell them the story.

"We had so many arguments with each other… I didn't like Ryu - I told her he wasn't meant for her but she insisted" Mr. Takamura paused for a moment, sniffing.

"And then-" he continued, "That night, she told me that she was going to confess to him and tell him everything. Madoka… She ran outside without even asking my permission" More tears fell from the man's eyes. Naru looked at him with concern and offered a glass of water.

"When she arrived home, she locked herself in the room and started crying. I didn't know… I didn't know what happened. She stayed in her room crying all night… It was only late morning when the her door was opened" Mr. Takamura took a deep breath. He is having a hard time retelling the story of his daughter's death. Naru glanced at Lin, signaling that the room's doors should be kept closed. Such a case has come to such a personal issue.

Mr. Takamura spoke again. "Madoka was very sick. I thought that she was having a fever so I went to the local pharmacy to buy her some medicine. When I got back, she was struggling to get near the doll. And there, I noticed what was making her sick. Little by little, her whole body became stiff and the texture of her skin seemed to look like a doll's. Her eyes… Her eyes looked as if they were all black and it looked as if they were hollow" Mr. Takamura trembled. What he saw was truly horrifying. Up until now, he can not explain how his daughter suffered.

"And then… and then…" the old man trembled even more.

"Takamura-san, it's alright… Please take your time" Naru interrupted.

"No! We can not!" Mr. Takamura suddenly raised his voice. Naru looked at Lin for a while and then turned back to Mr. Takamura's panicked state. "This isn't the end of the problem!"

"While the police was at my house, I wrapped the doll up so that the police wouldn't suspect anything. I hurriedly rode my bicycle. I – I… Called you at that time, I told you I was on my way to the SPR building" the man said all this in a hurry, hesitating a bit because of some grave news he had to tell the two gentlemen.

"When I got into an accident, the box was left at the streets. And then there was this girl - She had short brown hair and brown eyes as well. Skinny and this tall" Mr. Takamura predicted the girl's height with his hands and added a bit more descriptions such as her clothing, her hair length… Naru widened his eyes. This specific character Mr. Takamura is describing seems awfully familiar. He looked at Lin who also had a perplexed expression on his face.

"She took the box" Mr. Takamura finally spilled the beans. With what they've heard, Naru and Lin gasped in great shock and worry and stormed outside of the room.

_'Mai… _' Naru whispered to himself.

**Saturday, February 14****th**

**9:02 PM**

Naru and Lin slowly opened the door leading to their office in the SPR building. Silently, the two of them entered the room perhaps expecting an ambush from a malignant ghost. After what they've heard from Mr. Takamura, their main concern is Mai. Who knows what could have happened to her with that doll? Although Naru crossed his fingers, hoping that he was wrong. He had hopes that Mai would just be asleep or watching the television.

"I feel a dark aura…" Lin said as he opened up the lights to see what they're up against.

As the lights filled the room, both Lin and Naru saw Mai at the other corner of the office. The girl had a pretty dress on and she had obviously prepared herself for Naru's arrival. Naru looked at her in the eye as she drew closer, Lin on position to protect Naru in case anything bad happens. The first thing Naru noticed wasn't Mai's pretty dress or the way she did her hair - it wasn't how beautiful she looked as well. But he noticed how empty her eyes looked.

_"I've been waiting… Waiting patiently to be loved back… Naru" _the possessed Mai whispered, followed by an angry thunder.

**- END OF CHAPTER -**

Author's Note: In this chapter, I've added some of my own characters. I hope this would answer most of your questions from the previous chapter.

For the next chapter: The rest of the SPR team will finally make their appearance as Mai exposes her feelings towards Naru while being possessed by a heartbroken ghost. Naru and Lin takes on an intensive reasearch about the said ghost - Stay tuned for some action!


	3. III Love Bound

**Chapter Three: Love Bound**

**Sunday, February 15****th**

**5:15 AM **

Watching Mai in her sleep has now become a fearsome activity for Naru. He has been in the ghost hunting business for so long that the thought of watching someone asleep is like seeing someone dead. And he didn't want to see such a thing, especially if it were Mai. The event last night has kept him awake all throughout those hours. The burning wound on his left arm has been caused by the deep and heavy scratch of Mai's nails. Images of Mai struggling and being exorcised upon was a cruel thought for Naru; he closed his eyes only for a second to rid of these images.

"How is she?" Lin asked, worried and also tired. He placed some freshly brewed coffee and a few bandages to cover up Naru's scratch. But he barely touched any of them.

"It is temporary." These were the only words Naru could muster. The apparent paleness of Mai's complexion, her dried lips and the horrifyingly high fever were similar to what Mr. Takamura had said about Madoka. Naru placed his palm over Mai's forehead to check her temperature once again. He drew back in disappointment. She still has not recovered after the exorcism.

Naru wanted to believe that this was all false… He started to question why? – Why, of all people, it had to be her? No matter how selfish that sounded, he wasn't afraid to admit it. For the first time in the history of his ghost hunting business, fear overwhelmed him. He could not think properly; the only word inside his head was Mai… Mai… Mai

"I've contacted Ayako and the others" Lin spoke, hoping to break off Naru's depression and to start getting down to business. "Good" the other replied, without taking his eyes off of Mai.

"Naru…" The weak girl had whispered in her sleep as if asking for help.

**Sunday, February 15****th**

**9:03 AM **

From outside the SRP discussion room, one could already hear the riot between the SRP team members. All other appointments made during the day have been cancelled. And there they were, in a rut.

"What do you mean you do not know what's going on?" Hosho exclaimed. Clearly, he has been taken aback by the very fact that the great Shibuya Kazuya failed to find a solution.

"Calm down" John tried sufficing the heightened anxiety of the previous member.

"We definitely can't calm down at a state like this" Ayako shook her head, her hand on her head in thinking position.

As Hosho breathed heavily in his seat, John pouring everyone a glass of water, Ayako walking back and forth, and Lin on the search for related articles on the computer, Masako merely stared at Naru. She has had feelings for Naru for quite a while but this is the first time she has seen him in this state. The more she stared at him, the more evident it is - even without a single word; she knew that Naru cares for Mai. Finally, she spoke: "It is a human spirit, filled with hatred…"

The rest of the gang looked at her as if something terribly evil sat across them.

"I've casted her off tempora-" Naru was cut off. "That is exactly why you should not be wasting all your time! The minute she returns, she could kill Mai" Masako exclaimed, rising from her seat. The rest of the gang gaped and turned their attention to Naru who eyes have now narrowed.

"Speaking of which, where have you kept the doll?" Hosho asked, calmly this time.

"Lin had kept it far from Mai's room and has been kept under surveillance through the webcam" Naru explained coolly, reassuring everybody that everyone is safe, especially Mai.

"Are you sure? Such spirit is much wiser than you think" Masako pointed to the television screen. Looking at the screen more pensively, everyone noticed that the image looked too still. The trees by the window looked frozen in time. In fact, a little bird that has perched on the window sill has been immobile for more than a minute – the webcam has been paused.

"No!" Lin exclaimed but before everyone else could utter another word, Naru had already stormed towards Mai's room. Everyone else followed.

Upon reaching the room where Mai was, they caught the doll standing still upon the stomach of the sleeping Mai. The girl, still deep in her slumber, stretched her right arm forward as if being pulled, the rest of her upper torso still hanging and her head pushed back. A pair of sharp scissors was found in Mai's tight grip. The doll slowly turned its head, and faced the SRP members. It looked as if it was grinning with eyes still hollow as ever.

Suddenly, Mai's body rose from the bed. Her whole body is being dragged by her hand which held the pair of scissors. Rapidly, she made her way to Naru. As she was about to press the scissors on to his flesh, she opened her eyes. Everyone behind Naru gasped at the sight. Her eyeballs were pitch black – hollow and portrayed no emotions. As she saw Naru's shocked face, tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her arm, controlled by the doll, urged her to stab Naru by the chest. Just a few centimeters away Naru's chest, Mai stopped. As if in conflict with herself, she forcefully brought her own arm backward. She screamed and wailed in pain, bringing her arm forward and backward and forward again.

Naru tried his best to get a hold of Mai. The SRP members tried all their best in dispelling the evil that surrounded Mai but all has failed. Masako fainted by too much spiritual activity all at once. A few moments of trying, John took the doll impulsively and showered it with some holy water, and finally, there was a brief moment of silence. Mai had fainted and the rest of the SRP members fell to the ground, tired and filled with fear.

"That was something…" Hosho whispered to the rest of the members.

**Sunday, February 15****th**

**5:43 PM**

"Did you get all of them?" Naru asked Lin upon receiving a huge pile of newspapers.

"Yes, I believe all of our questions could be found here" Lin replied. "The doll's history goes back until World War II" he continued, hoping the information could help Naru.

"There's someone we need to visit" Naru declared.

"Go ahead, we'll take care of Mai" Hosho told him with reassurance. "All of us" he continued, glancing at the other members.

"Thank you" he said and together with Lin, they left the building.

Author's Note: I've been gone for a really, really long time. I hope this chapter has made up for my absence. Thank you for all your kind comments. You guys are the reason for my return.


	4. IV Answered Questions?

**Chapter 5: Answered Questions?**

**Sunday, February 15****th**

**7:24 PM **

Sunset has passed; the last tint of orange on the horizon has gone. Lin on the wheels and Naru examining the newspapers Lin had gathered earlier. Altogether, the newspapers were bound like a thick book – some of its pages yellowing with torn sides and others, a bit more pristine. Most of the old articles were hard to read, smudged or barely visible. These articles contained all the death reports related to the doll but none of them narrated the background of the doll. Naru clicked open the car light, hoping it could be of any help. Sadly, the only thing it did was to evidently show how hopeless it is.

"Aren't there any clearer versions of this?" Naru questioned.

It was raining yet again, just like the other night. The city looked so gloomy despite being illuminated by the street lights - or perhaps that's how Naru perceived his surroundings to be. The two planned to visit Mr. Takamura at the hospital; perhaps they could extract some useful information. However things are, Naru needs to concentrate this time. If there was one thing he needed to deal with at this moment, it would be himself. _'Stop thinking about it, she'll be fine' _he told himself.

"Unfortunately, these were the only articles available in the national library." Lin replied uncomfortably. "All the other copies were burned, stating that it was some sort of hoax media created to scare people"

"Except these were all true" Naru stated factually.

"It was World War II… Who knows how people thought back then" Lin replied.

Naru looked outside the window. By the sidewalk, he spotted a little girl much like Mai. She had the same wide, brown eyes and silk-like cherry brown hair – only this time its length reached below her shoulders and was neatly arranged in a braid. She stared into a toy store window display which showed off the newest dolls in the market. Unfortunately for her, they were quite pricey.

"Stop the car" Naru ordered. And the car had stopped. Lin glanced at him with a bothered look, wondering what he was up to. "This will only take a second." Naru said.

The narcissist Shibuya Kazuya walked across the street and stepped inside the toy store. A few minutes had passed before he exited back to the streets. This time, he had a doll in his hands – the ones that were on display. It had a soft body and a friendly smile; very different from the one back at the SRP building. "Hey" he called out to the girl. He was awkward but being his narcissist self, he assumed that this girl would have been impressed already.

The little girl outside the store looked at him, puzzled and surprised. He handed the doll over to her and a wide smile was painted across the little girl's face. Indeed, she reminds him so much of Mai. But before he could let go, Naru spotted a tag that was attached to the doll, it said: "Mizaki Toy Company". Upon reading it, his eyes widened – finally, an idea.

"Thank you, big brother" the little girl bowed and gave him an honest hug.

"Get home safely, it's late" Naru directed, warmed by her little gesture. The little girl bowed once again and left off, the doll in her tight embrace.

Shibuya Kazuya walked back to the car, got in and hurriedly asked, "Where was this doll made?"

**Sunday, February 15****th**

**9:55 PM**

Cold fries sat in between Naru's seat and the drivers', and the clunking of ice in a plastic cup can be heard in every turn the car makes. It will be a very long ride to their destination; both Lin and Naru had no choice but to conform to the idea of a drive-thru fast food dinner. Greasy burgers are perhaps the least of Naru's favorite things to eat but even the most delicious dish would be tasteless for him at the moment. He remembered how Mai struggled with herself at that moment when she was about to stab him. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking for Naru.

'_At least I know she cared' _Naru thought. But even so, it seemed so wrong.

"We're almost there" Lin said, looking past the foggy path ahead.

Naru looked across and spotted a humble, traditionally designed house. Its paint peeled off and the wooden doors creak and so did the old wooden floors. The car parked by the entrance and as soon as the engine stopped, both Lin and Naru noticed how silent it was. The countryside has always been a nice place to visit for a vacation, but this place was too eerie to make anyone relax. Lin made his way toward the gates and knocked. "Anyone home?" he called out. No one but the howl of winds answered. Lin gave a light push on the gate and surprisingly noticed that it was opened.

Both Naru and Lin entered the gates and they were greeted by a poorly maintained garden. It was balding with only a few dried grass patches covering the earth. A line of thirsty bushes, barely bearing any flowers, surrounded the house. "Hello?" Lin called out again, but no one answered. Naru went on ahead to the main door, gave it a little push and to his surprise, it was also opened.

Upon entering, he searched for the light switch in the dark. Not long, he felt it, gave it a click but nothing happened. He tried switching it on and off a couple of more times but to no avail. It was chilly and awfully quiet inside the house. Lin had also entered the room, now with a lighter in his hand. As the light filled the room, both of them were greeted by doll heads of different sizes – all bald but had the same hollow eyes… All of which stared at them.

It was hard to breathe. Naru looked around the room; it was hard to catch his breath no matter how deep he was breathing in. The chill gripped his whole body and no matter where he looked, those eyes followed him. The door suddenly slammed, sounding a loud bang! Naru stood there, immobile. He felt feverish and sick, dizzy and ready to give up…

And then he collapsed; the faint voice of Lin calling out to him now.

**Monday, February 16****th**

**6:15 AM**

Sunlight entered the room and made its way to Shibuya Kazuya's eyes. Slowly, he opened them only to find Lin sitting across from where he was lying. Naru looked at his surroundings – He was now in bed, blanketed by some neat and clean smelling sheets. The room was quite clean as compared to the house's outer appearance. And there was a light smell of fried eggs from below the room.

"Where are we?" Naru said in his morning voice, trying to get up.

"It's okay" Lin told him. "We're in Mr. Takeuchi's house – the guy who creates the dolls" he continued.

That explained everything – the doll heads in the house, this eerie feeling and everything else. Footsteps can be heard from outside the door. By the creak of the door, an old man entered the room with a tray of breakfast in his hands. "I'm glad you're awake" he said in a trembling tone. Facing Naru now, one could see the evident scar on the old man's face – as if it was scratched by a cat. Otherwise, he could have looked the same as any decent and innocent old man should look.

"Mr. Takeuchi, we're sorry for barging in like that" Naru apologized, guilty after having been served breakfast by the owner of the house.

"It's okay. It's my fault, you know? A little bad on the hearing, I didn't hear you knock" the old man replied with a hearty chuckle.

Naru got up and positioned himself formally, hoping that he could get all the answers he needed. Hours had passed under his nose because of his weakness – he can't afford to waste any more time.

"You could rest longer, you know. It's been an awful long time since I had visitors" the old man told him.

"It is okay, Mr. Takeuchi… We're actually here to ask you some important questions" Naru expressed.

The old man looked at Lin with a face full of questions. The latter nodded at him and faced Naru once again. Mr. Takeuchi furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing Naru's urgent message. He hasn't had visitors in his house for a very, very long time… And now two young kids are in his house telling him that they had some important things to discuss about?

Naru took out a picture from his pocket. It was a snippet from a newspaper article he had cut out earlier in the car ride. He struggled to show the picture to Mr. Takeuchi. He glanced at him first, thinking whether or not it was the right thing to do – to reprimand an old man for a cursed doll he created. Without another second wasted, he handed the picture to Mr. Takeuchi.

"We were hoping you could tell us about this doll?" Naru asked in the most respectable manner he could ever think of.

The old man gasped in horror upon a glimpse of the picture. "Oh my!" he expressed, his hands covering his mouth now. Slowly and remorsefully, the old man kneeled on the floor. Both Lin and Naru, shocked, asked him what was wrong. "No… No!" Mr. Takeuchi kept saying. He rose and urged the both of them to leave. "Get out! Get out the both of you!" He yelled, pushing both boys outside the room. He continued shooing them away, down the stairs until they reached the main door. Lin and Naru felt helpless, not wanting to hurt the old man.

"And do not ever come back!" the old man pushed both Lin and Naru out the door. But just as he was about to shut the door, Naru blocked it with his arm. "I don't want to hurt you, boy. But this matter, I can't help you" Mr. Takeuchi said, still using all his force in closing the door.

"Ahh!" Naru expressed, writhing in pain as his arm was being squished by the door. "Someone is going to die if you don't help us" Naru managed to say.

Just as Mr. Takeuchi was about to rebut Naru's statement, he caught a glimpse of the scratch on Naru's arm. It was still red, fresh and quite deep. Seeing this, he felt his own scar on his face. His eyes narrowed, opened the door and dragged Naru down to a seat.

"Mr. Takeuchi!" Lin called out, not knowing what to do to stop the rage of the old man.

Mr. Takeuchi's grip on Naru's shoulders grew tighter, his breath was short. He stared into Naru's eyes as if looking for answers. Naru looked back at him, pleading him to help in solving this case. "Mr. Takeuchi, I.." He was cut off with a question:

"DO YOU LOVE HER?" Mr. Takeuchi asked.

With that, Naru looked at him now with a perplexed look. Lin also furrowed his eyebrows, wondering where such a question came from at a time like this.

"I don't understand" Naru said, truthfully.

"THIS GIRL WHO IS IN TROUBLE, DO YOU LOVE HER?" the old man asked again, in the same angry yet urgent tone.

Naru looked away; images of Mai filled his head. _Does he?_ _Does he really like Mai in that way? _And how did the old man know that the victim was female? What does this all mean? A series of thoughts came into Naru's mind all of which gave him a headache… Even though he only needed to answer one simple yes or no question.

"Only when you say yes then I can help you" the old man told him, calmly this time, concerned and troubled.

A moment of silence followed. The ticking of an old clock can be heard, it has a slow pace. Naru can feel his own heartbeat. He was tired, confused and sick of all of these mind games. And then Mai came into his thoughts again. Her smile seemed so distant, so unreal… But perhaps this is all because he was going to lose her soon? Naru didn't like this thought, he despised it.

"Yes" Naru whispered.

Lin widened his eyes. Finally, the narcissist confessed.

"I love her"

And so the old man told them his story.

**-END OF CHAPTER- **

Author's Note: I tried at the ending… But so far I think I failed to keep Naru in character. What do you guys think? Also, thank you so much for your comments again! I will try to update this every day!


	5. V His Story

**Chapter 5: His Story**

**Japan, 1949**

She watched from her bedroom window, just as she did every single day. Out there, the sunshine embraced the small town; children were playing, basking in the breeze, with their smiles as bright as the sun. The flowers bloomed graciously in the garden, and everything else seemed so rich. But of course, she was rich too – just not in that kind of way. Western designed dresses clothed her instead of the usual kimonos other girls wear at her age. Not a single speck of dirt is to be touched by this fair maiden; her servants are to tend to her needs as long as she needs them. She just basically had everything anyone would die for – and yet, there was something missing.

She was 17 years of age: beautiful, smart, talented but fragile. Not long ago, people used to call her Kumiko casually; no title, no special mentions, just plain Kumiko. At the age of 6, however, her mother had remarried and she was renamed Penelope. Only her family members could call her by her first name, others excluded of this right are required to address her as Miss Penelope. She disagreed to this because she was not used to such a name - even she gets tongue tied pronouncing it with that Japanese accent of hers. And so, she would introduce herself as Penny. Deep down however, she would always be Kumiko.

For long years, she yearned to be out there, free and able to explore the whole town – or maybe even the whole world without having to worry about dirtying her dress or being in proper etiquette. She used to have that freedom but her new father forbade her from doing so. According to them, her time is to be spent in studying, sewing and other "high society activities". Kumiko spent those lost years enclosed in her room, bored and caged. Nothing could have changed if she hadn't met Daichi – the first born of the family's gardener.

Daichi was 19 when he entered the Honda Residence. He was tasked to help his father tend the huge garden. This was because Mr. Honda's wife was very particular about the appearance of the mansion. She always had guests visit her home for tea parties and such. And every chance that she could get, she would boast her garden to her guests. Therefore, it was important to have it well maintained.

On lonely afternoons, Kumiko would stroll around the gardens. It's not because she wanted to see the plants, but she was hoping to bump into Daichi. And coincidentally, her plan worked every time. There was a certain spot where Kumiko would wait – the bench closest to the pond; beside it was a fountain with a statue of an angel. Kumiko would be there, doing some reading or sewing, whatever it is that would make her look busy.

Daichi never failed to put a smile on Kumiko's face. In fact, he was the only reason why she would agree to follow her parents' ridiculous instructions. She used to hate wearing those weird looking dresses with matching hats that towered over her head, but all that changed when Daichi said she looked pretty in them. Both of them had always been so close – sharing stories, problems and secrets with one another. Not long, Kumiko had fallen deeply for Daichi but sadly, Daichi had always seen her as his beloved little sister.

Loving Daichi was never a simple feat. Their difference in financial status made it difficult for Kumiko to admit to her family and her peers of her feelings towards Daichi. She kept it as a secret for as long as she could - but little did she know that Daichi had a secret of his own too.

Her name was Sayuri. Her parents were merely artisans – doll makers to be exact. They lived in a small house down the street, near Daichi's home. She was a simple girl with small and simple dreams but she was the maiden who captured Daichi's heart. Kumiko wouldn't have known she existed if it weren't for that one fateful day…

**Monday, February 8, 1949**

**5:52 PM**

_'He loves me, he loves me not… He loves me, he loves me not'_

The rose petals fell slowly onto the clear pond and there, they floated about gracefully. Kumiko sat nearby, watching those petals drift away from her. She told him to meet her here, at the usual place, at the usual time – just like the old days. But it seems that he has forgotten about their little rendezvous. An hour had already passed without any sign of his arrival, but she persisted sitting there, hoping that he would come. The night is young but her patience has aged.

She must see him, for tonight is a very special night for her. She plans to tell him how long she has been waiting… How she is patiently waiting to be loved back.

Suddenly, she heard rustling from the bushes. Her heart leaped – _'so he hasn't forgotten!'_ she thought, immediately thinking that it was Daichi. Kumiko was about to call out his name when she heard someone shushed, followed by a soft giggle. It was from a female voice. Kumiko's eyebrows furrowed as she slowly tiptoed her way by those bushes.

Peeking through the bushes, she spotted Daichi. Her heart immediately sank upon seeing him together with another girl. Her heartbeats grew harder but a lot slower than usual. She could hear them despite the noise that has now invaded her mind. She sat on the ground, eyes unblinking, pale with cold sweat trickling down her neck. Tonight, her heart was crumpled.

"Sayuri…" It was Daichi's voice. "I've always wanted to bring you here"

"Hmm?" That must be Sayuri.

"This garden is a very special place for me" he said. And with that statement, Kumiko thought that he could have been thinking about her – the reason why this garden was so special. But chances of that coming into reality were quite slim now.

Silence followed.

"… The flowers here remind me of you. They are beautiful, but perhaps not as beautiful as you. And if you could give me a chance, I'd like to take care of you as I have with these flowers"

Kumiko could feel tears rolling down her cheek. Could Daichi have intentionally brought Sayuri here tonight because he knew that she was going to confess? Could this have been an indirect form of rejection? Kumiko refused to hear any longer, she tried getting back to her feet but the pain was too immense. At the back of her mind, she could already imagine the two kissing beyond that bush.

"And… I know your parents are doll makers so I wanted to try to make one for you" Daichi continued.

And that was the cherry on top of Kumiko's heartache. In all those years she has known Daichi, he never made a present for her. Not once. Anger started brewing inside of her along with a hint of jealousy. What does Sayuri have that she doesn't? How could Daichi fall in love with such a person? Does she look as pretty as she does? Does he share stories to her like they always have?

No, she will not settle for this.

She had everything. And she deserved nothing less.

"Penelope! Miss Penny!" someone from inside the mansion started calling. They must have realized that Kumiko wasn't inside her room as she was supposed to. Upon hearing this, both Daichi and Sayuri scurried away hurriedly with fear that they might be discovered. Outsiders, like Sayuri, weren't allowed to enter the Honda gardens without an invite. As the two lovebirds ran, Sayuri failed to realize that she had dropped the doll Daichi made. Knowing that the coast was clear, Kumiko had picked it up.

How she detested that doll – and yet, a part of her wished that it was her whom Daichi made a doll for. It would have looked better if the doll was modeled after her instead.

"Miss Penelope! Where have you been?" called her nanny from behind.

"I'm sorry, I just left something" she apologized, hiding the doll behind her back.

"Alright, but please, let us go in the house now" the nanny heaved a sigh.

And so, Kumiko did.

**Monday, February 8, 1949**

**9:26 PM**

The night has never looked so grim. This has been the first time Kumiko noticed how alone she was in her room. A mile must have covered the distance between walls but nothing good has ever filled that space – just boredom, sadness and sometimes, the thought of death.

She smiled to herself. For sure, in the morning, Daichi would have cared about her – and only her. He should feel very, very sorry for everything that has happened tonight. With that thought in mind, she decided that it shall be the last she would think of. She held the doll in her hands and stared at it for a while. In the following second, a knife has punctured her heart – and her soul left just as fast.

In the next morning, Daichi mourned for two women: for Kumiko who killed herself, and for Sayuri who was killed by a dead woman.

* * *

"Have I ever mentioned that my name was Daichi?" Mr. Takeuchi asked the two gentlemen whose faces were stricken with fear.

"I tried getting rid of the doll all these years. Every time I do, it kills and it makes sure it finds me – just as you have found me through this doll. And now that I'm 64 years old, it gets a bit tiring." The old man covered his face in his palms.

And that was the end of his story.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: First off, I want to thank each and every one who reviewed. I am very happy that you've been enjoying this fic so far. Thank you all very, very much.

I also apologize for not updating any sooner. Aside from school work piling up, I wanted this chapter to be epic and so, a bit of research has been made. Kumiko's story took place during the American Occupation in Japan – that was at the end of WWII - which explains her drastic change from Japanese to Western culture. I tried all that I could and this is by far, the longest chapter of this fic! Hope you enjoy!


	6. VI A Deal

**Author's Note**: I know most of you would skip this part, especially for how long I've been gone. I cannot even explain how shameful I am for my absence; I've been really irresponsible. Anyhow, I have completed this story with all my efforts despite the grueling schedule I have in college. I still have a bit to edit though but expect this fic to be fully uploaded by the weekend.

So enough of this lengthy rambling! I have high hopes that this fic was worth the wait for you guys. See you at the last chapter.

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: A Deal**

**Monday, February 16****th**

**9:30 AM **

The ride back was unbearable and the weather wasn't being of any help. Naru threw himself back to the car seat and let out a heavy, irritated sigh. Lin said nothing as he drove the car away under the heavy downpour. In times like these, Lin knew that silence was the only thing that could suffice Naru's anger and sadness. He was never one to show what he truly feels and that made it more difficult to handle.

They were unsuccessful at this point. Mr. Takeuchi had told them the story behind the doll possessing Mai, but they still had no clue.

"It is useless, nothing can help her" the old man said, but Naru refused to believe this – especially after having to admit his feelings for Mai. Not just to the old man, but also in front of Lin.

"It is useless because you struggle" Mr. Takeuchi added. This is what angers Naru the most. For the longest time, he dwelled on the prospect of actually liking Mai. Later on, he would withdraw to this thought out of fear that Mai didn't feel the same. The narcissist has never been rejected before and how painful it would be if he were rejected from the first person he actually liked.

"You should rest, we can get more ideas later on" Lin said. Naru could not help but accept the offer. He was feeling extraordinarily weak these passed few days. Naru closed his eyes and slowly dozed off to sleep.

**Monday, February 16****th**

**6:00 PM**

At thunderstrike, the office's electricity line got cut off. The whole team gasped for a moment at the sudden loss of light. The place fell silent except for the tip and tap of the raindrops outside.

"I have a bad feeling about this" John murmured.

"Lin and Naru should have been back by now" Makasako added as she looked at the terrible rain out the window. The whole team suddenly fell silent, each of them looked at each other and nodded as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

A small creak was heard from the other end. It was the door to the room in which Mai had stayed throughout the day. It was hard to see what was going on in the dark and the chill made it harder to concentrate.

"AHH!" Masako cried. As the lightning hit the earth, the rest of the team could finally see what was going on. It was Mai, looking paler than ever, he facial expression was wicked and the white of her eyes had gone to black. She has Masako's neck at her grip, making the spirit medium choke for air.

The rest of the team started performing their rituals but they were no use. Mai drew Masako nearer to her face and let out a twisted laugh. It sent chills up everyone's spines.

"Sa—yu—ri?" Mai stuttered, the wicked smile still evident across her face. Little by little, Masako's neck stiffened. To their horror, the team noticed how Masako's neck slowly turned into porcelein. By some unknown power, Mai was able to draw out the life and flesh of the spirit medium.

"Quick, before her grip tightens or her neck will be crushed!" John said in horror as he prepared for another exorcism.

From the other end of the room, a loud bang came from the door. Naru rushed in and took a hold of Masako. As soon as she was free from Mai's grip, her color returned. Masako took a deep breath and fainted drastically. Mai watched in anger how Naru kept the spirit medium close in his embrace. Her eyes were deep black in anger as if they were completely hollow.

"You still choose her after all these years?" Mai shrieked. Naru noticed how scratchy and deep her voice was. Obviously, it did not belong to her.

"What do you want from me?" Naru asked, knowing that the only soul present in Mai's body was Kumiko's.

Kumiko laughed hysterically. The whole team watched in horror as shuffled across an office table nearby. She hid underneath the table and fell silent. Naru stood and walked closer, curious of what had happened. Abruptly, Kumiko stood up with a paper cutter in her hand, ready to charge.

Lin stood still as a rock and then Kumiko started to laugh again.

"Do you like my new vessel, Daichi?" she asked "I always thought that you werent into black hair just like my first body" Kumiko cut out a small portion of Mai's hair with the cutter and blew the strands towards Lin's face.

"I am not Daichi" Naru tried to speak, his throat dry.

Kumiko banged her fist against the table. "Nonsense!" she shrieked once again.

"This feeling here" she started to speak while pointing to her chest. "This ugly, resentful feeling I have only when I see you" Kumiko started tearing up and she fell to the floor wheezing.

Naru's eyes widened. Somehow, it made sense but he couldn't believe it. Could it be because Kumiko thought that he was Daichi was because Mai liked him too?

"I want to make a deal with you" Naru said firmly. And the whole room fell silent once again.


	7. VII The Lovers' Bridge

**Chapter Seven: The Lovers' Bridge**

**Tuesday, February 17****th**

**5:43 AM **

Sunlight slowly filled the office as the dawn kicked in. Naru could barely open his eyes, he tried lifting his body up despite the stinging sensation on his back. He yelped at the sudden jolt of pain as he tried moving his legs. His team members were circled around him and they were sound asleep. Naru buried his face in his palms as he was trying to remember what had happened last night. He knew that they were in trouble but somehow, everything looked so peaceful this morning.

Sitting on his sofa, he took a good look around the office. True enough, there had been some sort of struggle. He clearly remembered Kumiko, the strands of Mai's hair and the deal but the events that followed were a big blur. Not far from the sofa he was sitting on, his eyes fell on a familiar figure.

"Mai!" he called out. Naru forced himself up from the sofa, not minding the pain that was now taking over his body. The narcissist fell to the floor but his eyes never left the girl lying unconscious on the cold floor. He crawled to her with all the efforts he had left and then he held her in his arms for the first time.

At the first touch of her skin, Naru immediately noticed that Mai was feverish. Her face was no longer pale but instead she was burning up. He held her tighter in an embrace. Naru hoped that he had made the right choice, even if it means his own life. Staring at her like that gave him some confidence. It was good to have her back and he did really miss her.

"Naru, are you alright" said a frail little voice. Masako knelt next to him and as he caught a glimpse of her face, he could tell that she too was drained and in fear.

"Last night, Mai-" Naru started to say.

Masako waved her hand in protest. "No need to explain" she said. Masako usually showed little interest towards Mai, they weren't always in good terms. Last night, Mai had almost killed her and yet Masako did not blame her for what she could have done.

"Thank you" was all Naru could say. Masako's eyes widened hearing this. And she knew just how much Mai meant to Naru.

**Tuesday, February 17****th**

**8:08 AM**

Hosho nearly dropped his cup of coffee if it were not for Ayako's fast reflexes.

"That's ridiculous! Impossible!" the monk exclaimed in disbelief. "This is no time for jokes!"

"You just can't do that!" Masako followed. Naru knew that she would protest. He knew the way she felt about him and even if he never intended for her to be hurt, his first priority was still Mai.

Lin cleared his throat as he poured more tea onto Naru's cup. "This is the best way to save Mai" Lin said flatly. He knew that Naru was in no mood to compromise his decision. The rest of the team fell silent; some furrowed their eyebrows as they were all deep in thought. It was a life or death situation and Naru was willing to choose death for Mai's life.

"_Offer yourself to her, she will never hurt you"_ Naru remembered Mr. Takeuchi say that day when he and Lin paid him a visit. He felt a tinge of uncertainty and he wouldn't have normally taken this choice but another image of Mai suffering is an unacceptable option as well. He turned to look at Mai who was now asleep on the sofa. She had been burning up since this morning and this worried Naru. He too was in no shape to fight off evil at this point.

Minutes passed by and the ticking of the clock was becoming more and more deafening. Before Naru could say something, John had beaten him to it.

"When will this be?" he asked. The serious look on his face meant that he was supportive of Naru's decision. He knew what they had to gamble on but like Naru, he believed in his team. He believed that everything will work out just fine, no matter what they were facing.

"Tonight, 9PM at the Lovers' Bridge" Naru answered.

"Is this supposed to be some sort of proposal?" Hosho snorted and Ayako gave him and irritated nudge.

The Lovers' Bridge is known to many of the residences in their area. Legend says that if lovers met at the middle of the bridge by full moon, they will always meet in their next lives and be a couple for all eternity. He imagined Mai and himself in the middle of that bridge, the moon's soft silver light painted across her skin. The thoughts of her being by his side for all time felt warm.

Sadly, for the both of them, tonight is the night when they would separate at the bridge. He had to remember that it wasn't Mai he was meeting but Kumiko. He hoped that by the power of the Lovers' Bridge, he would still at least meet Mai in his next life.

**- END OF CHAPTER -**

**Author's Note**: Just to clear things up, I made a mistake in my last chapter. Guys, that wasn't Lin! This fic is a clean Naru x Mai! Even if yes, Lin is sexy :P Again, thanks for the reviews guys!


	8. VIII A Visit

**Chapter Eight: A Visit **

**Tuesday, February 17****th**

**12:30 PM**

Staring blankly towards the ceiling with his hands outstretched, Naru could hear nothing but the heavy ticking of each second that passed. He could see Mai's face across the ceiling and he tried reaching out to it, and then he drew his hands back, knowing that it was only an illusion. Naru was sweating with his back against the leather reclining chair.

Outside the glass window, the stark sun positioned itself proudly above; and not a cloud in the sky can be seen. Today could have been a good day for a walk especially after the rainy weather they've been having the past few days. He could have been ordering Mai around, doing some errands with her for no big reason at all… But going back to reality, thirty minutes had passed since the first half of the day ended and in a few hours, Naru may not have the chance to witness all of this again.

The silence was humming now. Naru knew that beyond this wall, the some of his team memberes were wide awake and were stuck in a series of thoughts. And that made him feel even more miserable. He had locked himself up in this room for many reasons but only one had surfaced above the others: pride.

Even at this time, he refused to surrender to the fact that he needed someone. He wanted to show someone how miserable and scared he really felt but people couldn't see it – All they see was his usual blank face. He needed someone to hold on to but sadly and painfully, she wasn't there to help him at this moment. They had sent her to the hospital because her fever was worrying everyone. Hosho and Ayako should be keeping her safe by now.

Naru covered his eyes with his palms and he tried his best to sleep. He may never have the chance to do this again. He hoped that his last dream would be about her. It was all that he could ever ask for.

_As he opened his eyes again, he was alone in emptiness. His surroundings were black and cold. 'What is this?' he thought to himself, shivering. A faint image suddenly appeared before him; it was Mai. She had a soft smile on her lips and her eyes were sad but they were focused on him. Naru tried to reach out to her but he couldn't… He wouldn't. _

_It was a painful realization: he knew how much she meant to him and yet his pride wouldn't let him show it. Even at this point, it was still pride that took the best of him._

"_I'm alright" she started to say as if she read his mind. Of course, who could have known him better than Mai did? _

"_No you-" Naru protested but Mai had cut him off again. _

"_Don't do it, I'm fine" she said with so much indignation. "You have to understand. It's the only way…" she added. _

_Before Naru could say anything else, his surroundings suddenly warped and shifted. Next thing he knew, he was lying down with his back against the soil. He felt dizzy and sick but this was no time for weakness._

"_Don't you hurt her!" a girl cried, followed by rustling of leaves. The wind was thick and strong, it could almost bend any tree. Naru quickly stood, curious to see who was on the other side. There was a brick wall that divided him, except on it was a tiny hole as if it was meant for Naru to peek into. He brought his eyes closer and his eyes widened. _

_There was Mai, trapped in the hold of a young boy. He looked a lot like Daichi. Across the both of them was another girl with her back towards Naru. _

"_She was going to tell her father about us!" The boy cried. It was only then when Naru realized that he had a nice close to her neck. _

"_Mai!" Naru cried as his fist banged heavily against the wall but no sound was heard. _

"_Kumiko would never do that" protested the other girl. Naru slowly calmed himself down. Mai was telling him something… _

"_If her father knew that we've been meeting here, I'd be dead. You'd be dead" said the boy full of anger. He tightened his grip on Mai, his palms covering her mouth, scared that she might scream for help. _

"_I have nothing to do with this! You swore your life to her. You accepted Mr. Honda's daughter as your wife" said the other party as Mai started crying. Naru realized that Mai was playing Kumiko's role, but he didn't understand. This scenario was different from what Mr. Takeuchi had shared. _

"_Do you want me to marry her?" Daichi yelled at her and looked at Mai with disgust. _

"_No" the other girl replied weakly. _

"_Then you must help me get rid of her" the boy said to her coldly._


	9. IX Real Pieces

**Chapter Nine: Real Pieces (Part One)**

**Tuesday, February 17th**

**1:01 PM**

Naru's eyes shot wide open, he sat upright from the reclining chair with cold sweat trickling down his neck and across his back. 'What was that?' he closed his eyes shut with his hands pressed on his forehead. Did Mai want him to see this? But it was terribly different from what he had heard from Mr. Takeuchi – could it be…? He went out the door and made his way to Lin's laptop. He typed away and scrolled down the page. At last, he had found an address.

"We've been tricked" he muttered. Masako, John and Lin stayed silent as they watched him, their faces full of confusion and anxiety. The dark under their eyes showed the little sleep that they had. Naru felt a tinge of guilt at how irresponsible he had become. It is time to take care of his team instead of worrying about his own affairs. Nothing is impossible – He was Shibuya Kazuya after all.

"What do you mean?" Lin asked finally.

"He lied" Naru replied, gathering a few pages from the collection of articles Lin had prepared.

"How did you know?" John questioned and Naru fell to a pause. He faced the priest and said:

"Mai"

**Tuesday, February 17th**

**2:45 PM**

The Honda Residence turned out to be a deserted mansion. In his dream, Naru saw that this building was cream and gold, full of elegance and sophistication. Today, the only thing it is filled with is dirt, vines and a forest of a garden. _'They should be somewhere here'_ Naru had his hopes up. They should be here.

"What are we doing here?" Masako grew impatient not knowing what is going on. The team marched down the thick path as if it were a labyrinth. The huge aged trees hovered above them, blocking the sunlight as if it were a giant. Snails and frogs were everywhere as well as an assortment of insects. It was hard to believe that sometime in history, this place was a glorious and beautiful garden. Madam Honda would have shrieked at the sight of her garden today.

"Quiet" Naru replied. He was searching for a brick wall, similar to his dream. It was deep red in color, similar to rust, with a hole somewhere on its heart. As they walked through some more, Naru spotted something familiar.

"It's the fountain" Lin said, as if he knew what Naru had been thinking. "Mr. Takeuchi mentioned about a place where he and Kumiko would meet"

"Then it should be close" Naru paced around the area until he saw a massive wall covered in thick vines. He tore off a few and there it was - a wall of rust in color. He searched for the hole; he was so sure it was there as Mai had shown him. Upon seeing the wall, his team mates followed suit. Naru felt across the wall, his palms getting dirty and after a while, he felt a small narrow opening.

"It's here" he said to himself.

He looked through the hole and at the sight of the other end, his heart pounded loudly and painfully. Naru suddenly stepped back with his face stricken with fear and disgust.

"What is it?" Lin asked, alarmed by Naru's unusual reaction.

Masako let out a sharp gasp and she started shivering. "This isn't good" she muttered. She could have sensed a strong negative energy around the area.

John took a peek at the hole and there he saw what seemed like a skeleton hanging upside down; slabs of rotten flesh still covering parts of its rib cage and a few other places. There were worms wriggling around the skeleton. John withdrew, feeling sick with an urge to vomit.

"This wall isn't originally a part of the garden" Lin observed. The team looked around trying to understand what the former meant. "It looks like it was meant to conceal whatever was inside" he continued. From a distance, it looked camouflaged by all the trees and plants; no one would notice the protruded area. It was a small and narrow and fit for a corpse.

"I need to see something" Naru muttered to his team as he shuffled around his bag of tools.

The team made an effort to tear the wall down and simply prepared for the worst sight of their lives. Each of them hesitated except for Naru_. 'For Mai'_ he thought. He felt another wave of guilt deep down inside knowing that he was doing this mostly for Mai and so little for Kumiko. If there was a chance to meet Mai on that bridge instead of Kumiko, he'd take it.

As the skeleton revealed itself fully, so did its stench. The team covered their noses at the revolting odour as Naru reached out towards its neck. Masako had to cover her eyes as she didn't want to know what Naru would do next.

Around its neck was a golden chain. Naru grabbed it away from the army of worms and held it for a while. There was a locket in a shape of a heart; it had carvings in art nouveau style with diamonds encrusted on its face. Naru opened the locket and there, his questions were all answered. He showed the insides of the locket to his teammates and they all widened their eyes.

It had "Kumiko Honda" carved on one side and an old picture of a young girl on the other.

**Real Pieces (Part Two)**

**Tuesday, February 17th**

**4:10 PM**

As John and Masako were purifying the corpse of Kumiko by chanting and holy water, Naru stood still with furrowed eyebrows and an expression so deep in thought. Lin looked at him and understood why. They found a skeleton with only a skull and its upper torso; the other parts were not there. Naru's mind was running around in circles but he still could not figure out why.

"Kumiko's one of the very few human entities who needs to possess a vessel" Lin said.

Naru glanced at him. "Yes but most ghosts do that when they don't know where their corpses are"

"That's right. But after exorcism, they can show themselves in human form" Lin explained as if dropping a hint. He knows that Naru disliked being told what to do; it's best to make him understand on his own.

"Not unless her body was scattered or destroyed! She cannot identify her true form!" Naru exclaimed.

Lin nodded in agreement. This was probably the reason why her corpse withered so slowly. Her flesh rot so slowly because her spirit was still somewhat alive. An evil and negative entity must have kept her skeleton from disintegrating.

The two fell silent; so much eerie discoveries revealed today. Now that they know the truth behind all this how do they save Mai?


	10. X Undeniable

**Chapter Ten: Undeniable**

**Tuesday, February 17th**

**5:30 PM**

A police line now surrounded where Kumiko's skeleton lay. A number of investigators hovered above her taking snapshots and notes. After Lin had called in the police, Naru was bombarded with questions of how he discovered the missing girl. Apparently, Kumiko had been a long time mystery among those who live near the Honda mansion. After the Hondas abandoned their home, many have attempted to stay in but for some reason, no one bothered to stay longer than a week. It was then known that the mansion was haunted. Kumiko's corpse explains it all.

Naru grew irritated as he was wasting time. He politely excused himself and declined to be interviewed any longer. He was still on a case and he was running out of time. How do you stop an angry ghost with a thirst for vengeance? After all that he had seen, it was clear how much hatred Kumiko might have. Was it right for him to think of himself, of Mai, without understanding Kumiko's feelings?

The team made their way back to the van. Instead of Lin taking the wheel, Naru filled in. He needed to go somewhere but he wasn't sure where to go. Lin, John and Masako kept watch in silence. It was uneasy being inside the van; all four of them stared at the road ahead. With all of their experiences in the spiritual business, they have never encountered such a case. Most of the time, the chanting and the rituals work but Kumiko's soul can only rest by giving up the life of Daichi. Who were they to put an end to someone's life just because a ghost yearns for vengeance? What would the police say to this?

Naru drove across the road with heightened speed. Just as he was going over the speed limit, Masako shouted "Stop it!" The van screeched to a sudden halt, Naru's eyes still fixed on the road. He was breathing heavily while Masako stared at him scornfully. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked finally, her tone sharp and heavy.

Naru turned to face the young lady and just then her palms met his cheek with a loud slap. John and Lin gasped at what Masako had done. Naru went blank, looking at her. She had tears rolling down her cheek but she kept her face straight. "You are pathetic" she struggled to say.

"Masako, Naru is doing his best" John interrupted.

"That's not what I meant!" Masako exclaimed. "That's not what I meant at all"

The girl sniffled and whimpered a bit as she tried to speak again.

"The answer is so simple and yet you can't see it!" she shouted at Naru. He was now trembling at the sudden outburst of Masako. For the first time, someone is scolding him for his mistakes. He knew what this was about, he knew all along. In fact, he knew how to solve this problem ever since but he was just stalling. He was busy trying to find another solution – he'd do anything, anything but that.

"All you have to do is tell her!" Masako exclaimed.

John and Lin faced away. They knew too that this was the only way but they never dared to tell Naru. No one wants to tell what Naru should do. It was quite obvious around the office that both Naru and Mai had something special but the two of them were too stubborn to admit it to each other. And now is the time for someone to finally bow his head to the other.

"I know" Naru muttered. "I know!" he shouted as he banged his fist against the car window with a heavy thud. "But I can't… I just can't" he said.

"Coward!" the girl hissed. As she was about to call him other hurtful names, Naru quickly confessed:

"I cannot live, knowing that she doesn't like me back" the narcissist said calmly and his face away from them, embarrassed with what he just said.

"Mai has always-"John started to say but was stopped by Lin's hand. He signalled him to stop and to let him handle this situation.

"Mai visited you in your dream, correct?" Lin asked Naru. The other merely nodded.

"What did she say?"

"She said she would be fine and she told me not to do it"

"Why?" Lin smiled faintly as if he knew that Naru would solve this just as he always had.

Naru sighed upon realizing this and merely buried his head on the steering wheel.

"I am an idiot" he said to himself.

After all this time, Mai had been showing her feelings for him and yet he was so dense. That time when she was struggling with herself with a pair of scissors in her hands, the dream… Everything just made sense. Naru cannot believe that he too was afraid of rejection. Out of all of the other possible things he could be afraid of, he was afraid to be denied.

The pain, the anxiety, the worry and the uncertainty he felt at that very moment only means that his feelings towards Mai was undeniably true.

Naru quickly fired up the engine and drove away together with his team.

The rest smiled a bit – now they know where they're going.

**Tuesday, February 17th**

**7:05 PM**

Outside the hospital room was a rogue crowd of reporters and investigators. Hosho and Ayako could barely keep up with them. The afternoon was a buzz and it tired them out. They tried so hard to decline all those questions and to persuade them to leave. Even the hospital officials were outnumbered and overpowered by the media.

"Is Taniyama Mai in any way related to the Honda Kumiko Murder Case?"

"Why is she ill? Does this concern all the news about those doll related deaths?"

"Can we please talk to Mr. Shibuya Kazuya?"

All these questions kept spinning around and around.

"How long do we have to do this?" Hosho cried with his back against the door.

"What is going on? I can't seem to contact John" Ayako was busy fiddling with her mobile phone but it always says the same thing: subscriber can't be reached.

Across the room was Mai, still asleep. She was pale with a look of pain on her face. Both Hosho and Ayako kept watch through all this time. Her skin was regained to normal but she hasn't returned to consciousness. Both Ayako and Hosho don't know how to solve this, even the doctors were clueless but they advised them to keep her in the hospital for further examinations.

There was a knock on the door and Hosho was hesitant to open it.

"I'm sorry we cannot-" Hosho started saying.

"This is Dr. Hiroshi" the other end introduced himself. Hosho quickly opened the door for the doctor to come in.

"Oh, no need for that. May I have a word with you two outside, please? Nurse Ichiko will tend to Miss Taniyama in the meantime" he said with a smile.

Both Hosho and Ayako were hesitant at first but the doctor might have wanted to talk to them about Mai's lab results. The nurse called Ichiko gave them a reassuring smile and a bow so the both of them agreed. As the door closed shut, Ichiko entered the room. Hosho and Ayako were about to talk to Dr. Hiroshi when the door suddenly opened.

"Where's the patient?" Nurse Ichiko exclaimed in panic.

Thanks for all the reviews and follows guys! There's a big typhoon here in the Philippines and school gets suspended now and then that's why I had the time to update this. Hope you enjoyed it


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